The Half-Marathon Man

For the past 5 months, Jonathan has been training for the Kansas City Waddell & Reed Half-Marathon. We actually both began training and signed up for the race as a fun goal to accomplish together. When we found out I'm pregnant, Jonathan continued the training on his own.

We got downtown to the Hyatt around 6:15am where Jonathan took the opportunity to stretch before the start time of 7:00am. It was a cold, dark morning in KC but there was much excitement in the air.

There were 10,500 runners and a large amount of spectators. In fact, as much as we tried, we were unable to spot Jonathan at the start or middle of the race.

Fortunately, we squeezed into a spot toward the finish line and were able to cheer Jonathan on as he sprinted toward the end. He is the one pictured here in the white shirt and black running shorts.

There were so many people waiting at the finish line. As soon as we saw Jonathan coming, we ran back past the finish to try to meet him.

We finally met up after he walked through the food line to grab some oranges. What a relieved and accomplished expression!

Check out the frost on Jonathan's face and hair! He was cold and soaked in sweat by the time he finished.

Jonathan completed the half-marathon in 2 hours and 4 minutes which was one minute faster than he anticipated. Dad and I were so glad to be there to see him accomplish this feat and show our support for all his hard work and dedication to achieve his goal.

Meets and Bridges

My cousin, Andy, had a cross country meet in Terre Haute, IN. We were able to go see him run and meet up with the rest of his family there. The nearby Parke County was hosting its annual Covered Bridge Festival so we stopped by to enjoy some hot cider and kettle corn. It was the perfect autumn weekend and such a treat to cheer Andy on with the rest of the fam.

Saying Good-bye to "Tarai"

When Jonathan and I were married in 2001, his brother, Nathanael, gave me the nickname "Tarai." He said it was like Sarah in the bible who was barren and when God told her husband, Abraham, that she would have a son, He changed her name from Sarai to Sarah. So Nathanael decided to call me Tarai until Jonathan and I had children.


In 2006 we actually started trying to achieve this goal of parenthood, but after several months that turned into years, I began to realize I might have a bit in common with Sarai...I was experiencing barrenness. After doing lots of testing that resulted in the discovery that Jonathan and I are both perfectly healthy, we realized either it just wasn't God's timing for us to conceive or maybe we were being led to adopt.



Since we moved to Anna, IL we've been living in a tiny apartment that we knew wouldn't pass an adoption home inspection. So we decided to look for a house to buy and thought that if we weren't pregnant by the time we found a house, we would hit the adoption route full-swing.



God's timing is always perfect, no matter how much it may seem to differ from our own ideas. On the morning of July 28th, 2009 we went to the bank to close on a house. That afternoon we found out we were pregnant! Then it took us a couple weeks to realize it was real... and still some days I look at my stomach and say to Jonathan, "I can't believe there's a baby in there!"



We are praising God for the miracle of this new life and grateful for Him bringing us through what was possibly our greatest trial thus far. It was a hard road and it is tough to describe the pain that accompanies this journey. We watched so many friends and family members conceive and wondered when our turn would come. Some of them even met, dated, got married, and had babies in the time we were trying. The main tool that helped me get over the sadness was a book given to me by my friend, Beth, Rain on Me by Holley Gerth. This 40-day devotional brought me from feeling abandoned by God to feeling enveloped in His love...and it made me realize I was letting the devil scheme in my life and bring me down when I have so much for which to be thankful.



To anyone dealing with a trial that at times seems unbearable, I recommend Holley's book and encourage you that "God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." 1 Corinthians 10:13



And to anyone who may be a family member, friend, or acquaintance of a young married woman and feels compelled to question or pressure her regarding her timeline for children, I implore you to hold your tongue. You never know what that woman is dealing with and the respectful, courteous thing to do is to let her bring the topic up if she so chooses. Just as it is inappropriate to imply a young, single gal should be considering marriage, it is equally inappropriate to suggest when a married woman should have children. Having been through this trial myself, I have been given a whole new outlook on what it means to have sensitivity and compassion on others. It is much more beneficial to be an encourager than a meddler. My mom and two of my aunts each at one point told me that they believed we would conceive our own children. They couldn't explain it; it was just something they knew. The faith of these women is at times what carried my hope.

Although I adore nicknames and felt it endearing of my brother-in-law to call me "Tarai", I am happy to hang up my "Tarai hat" and be called "Tara" from here on out as I am WITH CHILD! :) We appreciate any prayers for the health of the baby and for a quick, natural delivery. We anticipate the arrival of our little one around St. Patty's Day, March 17th. We have decided to be surprised regarding the baby being a boy or girl and plan to surprise everyone with the name when he or she is born. Be sure to check back on our blog for more updates and thank you for rejoicing with us!

Small Town Rumors

So some folks in town told us that sometimes rumors get started about people out of nowhere. Today, we were the recipients of two of them.

Jonathan was talking with a guy from our church and the guy said, "So I hear you're going on study leave soon." Jonathan responded, "What?"
Guy: "Aren't you going on study leave next week?"
Jonathan: "No, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Guy: "But you're not going to be here for the high school football game Friday."
Jonathan: "Right, because we're going to Terre Haute for a couple days to see Tara's cousin run in a cross country meet."

Rumor number two went like this:

Lady from church: "It's too bad you guys are leaving us, we really enjoy having you at the church."
Jonathan: "What are you talking about?"
Lady: "Well aren't you moving to Mexico?"
Jonathan: (laughing) "Um, no. We love being at the church. We bought a house here."

You're probably wondering how in the world these ideas get into peoples' heads then spread around town. SO ARE WE!!!

Carport Removal

We had a rotten carport attached to the house. Some guys from the church came over to help us tear it down.

They chained one of the posts to a bobcat after sawing the roof apart from the roof of the house.

In just one hour and forty-seven minutes the entire thing was removed and we had a completely cleaned off driveway. It was a HUGE accomplishment!

Philip Visits!

Philip came for a visit during his move to Chicago. He will be working there a couple weeks a month, so he got a studio apartment. Jonathan helped him move and it was quite an adventure!

The alley next to his building just barely fit the moving truck. The guys had to load up the service elevator, get in, then move everything to the other side while riding up to Philip's floor in order to be able to exit out the opposite door. Despite the close quarters, the guys decided it was the easiest move they've ever made. Philip had planned so well ahead that they were able to place the furniture precisely according to Philip's drawing of the space and finish in record time. We appreciated Philip coming to Anna early so we could spend some time with him and show him where we live...and get the Lincoln/Douglas photos, of course!

8th Anniversary!

We have celebrated anniversary number 8! We went to one of our favorite places: Carolina Beach. We stayed at The Front Street Inn in Wilmington which we had stayed at for our fourth anniversary as well. We got this photo out front to compare it to the one we took in the same spot 4 years ago. It's hard to believe we've been married this long--the time really flies by! Being back in the Carolinas was wonderful. We went through our former stomping grounds in Charlotte and were able to see some really great friends for what seemed like too short of a time. But we were so thankful for the opportunity and glad we made the trip.

The Ultimate Fixer-Upper

We bought a house. It needs a ton of work. We're hoping to get to move into it by Christmas.

We do really like the layout. It is one of the rare 3 bed/2 bath finds in town. We think it was built between 1936 and 1941, but who's to say because it was a foreclosure (as you may have guessed) that, I might add, included a drug bust. We sure know how to pick 'em!

Here are just a few of the things we're doing: replacing the plumbing, replacing the electrical, gutting both bathrooms and kitchen, ripping off the rotted carport and adding a garage, replacing all the windows... the list goes on.

We like the "English Cottage/Storybook " look of the house which was apparently popular in the US during this time period. There are hardwood floors, coved ceilings, and glass doorknobs. We think it will look nice a year from now. :)

We actually sought after this house if you can believe that. We were looking at a different one on the same street that we didn't really like but were possibly going to settle for. One day I was walking down that street and thought to myself, "now, why are we settling for something when there are cute little houses like this storybook one in town?" At the time, it was not on the market but a friend from church told us it was vacant due to foreclosure. So we waited... after several weeks it became available, we viewed it, beat out other offers for it, and now we're the not-so-proud owners! The answer to your next question is, "yes, I do believe we are out of our minds."

Andi and Bruceter!

On our way home we stopped in Indianapolis where Andra and I were born and partially grew up. We saw our former house and visited with good friend, Wes Alden, the neighbor across the street with the pool. His wife, Carolyn, taught us how to swim when we were just little girls. We also visited the church we used to go to before leaving Indy, then Andra and Bruce stayed with us a couple nights in Anna to see where we live. Of course, we had to take them to the Lincoln/Douglas debate site to snap some photos.

Crossing the Lake

Jonathan, Bruce, and Andy swam across the lake and back this year! Andra and I followed in the row boat to make sure the guys were noticed by any pontoons.

Jonathan and Andy came in together, swimming the first 1200 meters in 25 minutes and the last 1200 meters in 20 minutes. Sometimes they got a little off course so Andra and I tried to help direct them from the boat.

They were proud of their feat but happy to be back on shore! Good job, guys!!!

Independence Day

What a fantastic 4th of

July at the lake! It was

great to be back in Indiana

to spend the holiday with

family. The fireworks were

beautiful and the cool

weather was a nice change

from hot and humid Southern

Illinois! We watched the

fireworks going off all the

way around the lake, ate

s'mores, played ladder golf,

and even got in a round of

water volleyball.

birthday boy!

Jonathan is 30! I had every intention of throwing him a surprise party for this milestone when we lived in Charlotte, but being in a new town I had to come up with a different plan. I arranged for his 2 oldest friends to meet up with us and our siblings in Columbia, MO because it was a good middle ground. Since we had a bit of a drive from So. Ill. we needed to stay overnight. So several days before the outing, I began slowly packing some things and carefully placing the suitcase back in its storage position so as to not tip off Jonathan. Unfortunately, I underestimated my ultra observant husband who noticed the suitcase leaning slightly and the disappearance of his khaki shorts. Nevertheless, the birthday was a hit and he was glad to celebrate with good friends. *my apologies to Scott Kerens for not getting a picture before he needed to leave, my gratitude to Andra and Bruce for the superb table decorations, and my sincerest thanks to Jimmy for the pink birthday princess button for Jonathan's lapel. You are all wonderful!

My Husband, the Gimp

Jonathan has dislocated his shoulder. He was playing basketball and got his arm caught up in the guy he was guarding. They jumped up together but the other guy came down first, taking Jonathan's arm with him. It was painful, to say the least. It has been 3 weeks since the event meaning he only has 1 more week of wearing this sling before physical therapy begins.

Just in case anyone else is counting or wondering, the dislocated shoulder incident marks the FIFTH time Jonathan has been to the ER since we were married in 2001. For the record, here is the list of injuries:

5. Dislocated shoulder playing basketball

4. Stitches from cutting his index finger in a circular saw

3. Staph infection surgery from blistering his foot & jumping in the intercoastal waterway in Ft. Lauderdale

2. Breaking his hand from punching a glass storm door

1. Spraining his ankle at an Oxygen event resulting in weeks of crutches while living in a 3rd floor apartment building with no elevator

I personally feel like I've had a part-time job working as a care-giver.

NIECES!

We are so privileged to be an Aunt and Uncle and to have met both our new nieces when they were just weeks into this world!

Jonathan is holding Idolie Denean Whitley, daughter of Philip and Allison. We were so glad she came early so we could cuddle her up when we were in Houston for Presbytery. She has beautiful strawberry blond hair and her mom's olive skin tone. Idolie sported several vintage frocks (under her daddy's master swaddling) and gave us an afternoon of excitement in Sweeney when she showed us how to go through 4 diapers in 5 minutes!

I am holding Layla Marie Whitley, daughter of Peter and Barbie. Being in St. Louis, she lives close enough for us to see her whenever we want. Layla has the cutest little cowlick and long skinny toes, just like her daddy. With her mom's pouty lips, Layla is the "anything but pink girl" wearing red, green, purple, you name it.

They are both just precious and we're all glad to know that with the five Whitley guys, it IS POSSIBLE to have daughters!

The Cowboy Pastor

We recently flew to Houston, TX to go to the spring Presbytery Meeting. Jonathan had to transfer in from the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic which consisted of being examined on some of his views and giving a little background on his call to ministry. He passed with flying colors of course!

Jonathan's brother, Philip, lives in Houston with his family and they planned a special day trip for us to see Jonathan's birthplace: Sweeney, Texas. We toured the first church he ever attended, saw the hospital where he was born, and drove down the street he first lived on (all the houses have been torn down).

Before Jonathan and I met I went through a phase where I thought I wanted to marry a cowboy. (I know, it's strange)! So I think it is quite poetic that the man God has for me is actually a Texas native. Although I couldn't get him to wrastle any Longhorns while we were there....

30, Flirty, and Thriving

That's right, I hit the big one. 30 snuck up on me before I could say "what happened to my youth?" We decided to head out of town for the occasion, a whole 45 minutes away to Paducah, KY.

On the way, we stopped in Metropolis, IL or "Superman Town" for some quick photo opps. We also headed out to Land Between the Lakes to take in some scenery and to dine at the touristy Patti's Settlement. It was a fun weekend of peaceful walks, animal watching, and quality time with the hubby, who is, incidentally, still 29.

Dad's Visit

The town next to Anna is Jonesboro, IL and it is one of the sites of the Lincoln/Douglas Debates. There are life size statues built there in the park, so the guys had to compare themselves in stature to Honest Abe.

We also took Dad to one of the many vineyards here in Southern Illinois. We tried Blue Sky Vineyard and found the beautiful grounds and tasty wines to our liking! At five tastings for $1, we were able to try quite a selection.

First EPC Youth

Jonathan is settling into working with youth again. He is of course, still playing his guitar and enjoying teaching them some new worship songs. Wednesday nights get a little crazy as he introduces different games...I think they'll play anything with the lights out and strobe/black lights on!

A few of the girls played on the basketball team at one of the local high schools. They made it to Super Sectionals--just one win away from going to State. We went to a couple games to cheer them on and had to laugh at their mascot--an Appleknocker. The town is known for its orchards and "appleknockers" refer to those who knocked apples off the trees while others picked them up.

One afternoon we took the youth to Wal-Mart and had a contest to see who could find the largest quantity of items totalling no more than $2. We purchased the items and put them in the ceiling of the youth room for decoration. CLASSY.